News

It's Census time! Residents urged to fill out surveys

All U.S. households should soon receive a form like this. The U.S. Census is currently underway for 2010.

By Cindy Aguirre-Herrera

(Seguin) -- Census 2010 surveys are now hitting mailboxes. Efren Salinas, media specialist for the U.S. Census Bureau, says residents will want to double-check their mailboxes for their census survey and return it as soon as possible.

"We ask you to fill it out as promptly as you receive it. Fill it out and send it back, and then you can essentially forget about it for the time being. However, those folks who for whatever reason didn't receive their questionnaire or who didn't know what it was and possibly threw it out or just didn't feel like filling it out, a census employee will go to their home and ask them to fill it out," said Salinas.

Salinas says the questionnaire is sent to households every 10 years. He says it helps count every resident in a community.

"We're really excited because it's one of the shortest questionnaires in census history and it will only be 10 questions. We hear a lot of people complain or not fondly remember the long form that has come in previous censuses. It will be a short one (with) 10 basic questions (like), ‘How many people live here?’ some demographic questions, ‘Are you of Hispanic origin?; (and) self identifying so you write in what race you identify with or ethnicity and send it back in," said Salinas.

Salinas says no one should be concerned about filling out the form required by the U.S. Constitution. He says the form is confidential and required by all households. He says the form is a safe way to get information to the federal government.

"I'll point out two things. One, you give more information in a Blockbuster membership. This is very basic information. It doesn't ask you for social security. It doesn't ask you for your legal status in this country and in some parts of Texas we know there is substantial undocumented population. However they will have to participate in the census. The questionnaire and your information is completely private and confidential. It is not shared with any other agency whether it be immigration or any type of policing agency," said Salinas.

The more accurate a count is in a community, the better it is for the residents in the long run. He says one of the most important reasons for the census is not only to change the population signs coming into a city but to also determine the amount of federal funding that comes into an area.

"It is estimated that for every one person that we miss unfortunately that's approximately $2,000 less that will come to the area. So you can imagine that can add up if its a 100 people or a 1,000 people that failed to fill out their census form," said Salinas.

Salinas says mailing back the surveys is more effective. Plus, he says it avoids census takers from coming to your home to pick up the form.

"Not only is that easier for the person who gets the questionnaire but it also saves taxpayer dollars because we need to hire and pay people to go out and do this job. Of course if you go ahead help us out and send it back we don't have to spend those tax dollars," said Salinas.

Each questionnaire includes a prepaid envelope so that it can be can mailed back as soon as possible.

Packed with love

The congregation at Forest Hills Baptist Church gathered together Sunday night to assemble fifty "Buckets Of Hope." The fivegallon buckets each containing rice, oil, flour, beans, spaghetti, peanut butter and sugar will be shipped to needy families in Haiti. Church leaders says amazingly, each bucket contains enough food to feed one Haitian family for one to two weeks depending on the size of the family. After raising the money to purchase the necessary items over the past few weeks, the members of Forest Hills, both young and old, worked hand-in-hand to perfectly assemble each bucket for it's upcoming trip. As the buckets were finished being packed, the assembly teams prayed over each one for it's intended recipient-family.

Local recycling site to close

By Cindy Aguirre Herrera

(Seguin) -- The city of Seguin has closed one of its recycling locations with the hopes of one day moving its main recycling area to a better site.

The recycling bin that has been available for the last couple of years in the Wal-Mart parking lot will be removed today.

Susan Kent, public works assistant for the city of Seguin, says while the city is grateful to Wal-Mart, the unsecured area was just too difficult for the city to control.

"The IESI trucks pick up the bins and citizens literally have been chasing the trucks trying to throw their recycled debris up on the trucks while they are moving and we just felt like this was quite an unsafe thing to do and that's one of the reasons why we shutting the site down. Also we were receiving a lot of garbage in with the recycled goods. Citizens from outside the city of Seguin and in different other communities were bringing their garbage over to throw in our bins. Of course that contaminates the recyclables and there have been a few times were we had to take the bin to the landfill rather than recycling," said Kent.

Kent says at this time, the city is concentrating on applying for funds from the Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG). She says the city hopes to in the near future relocate its main recycling center currently on Nelda Street to an area on Fred Byrd Lane. The lane is located off of S. Austin Street just behind the National Guard Armory.

"We want to do everything we can to encourage people. We're trying to keep it at not cost for the citizens and in order to do this the site is going to have remain unmanned for a while but we certainly do want to encourage citizens to continue recycling and hopefully this new facility when it gets built, it will really make a big difference I hope.

Although the Wal-Mart location will close, Kent says the city will continue to offer the same recycling services at its Nelda Street Recycling site.

"We take paper, plastics, metal, tin, aluminum. Everything needs to be rinsed and washed. Certainly no food containers or contaminated containers with food because that spoils the recycling materials that people have already thrown out," said Kent.

The recycling site is located just behind the rodeo arena and behind the green barn at the Guadalupe County Fairgrounds.

The city has also announced new hours for the Nelda Street Recycling site. Those hours are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The service will no longer be available on Saturday. The service is limited to city of Seguin residents only.

Walking for Life

Over 500 people and 100 dogs hit the road Saturday for the second annual Wilenchik Walk for Life in Schertz. The annual walk, named in honor of former Schertz City Councilman Tony Wilenchik, was held over the weekend to raise funds for the Cancer Therapy and Research Center Center at the University of Texas Health Center in San Antonio. The long-serving city councilman, who had been fighting cancer for years, died in August. Prior to his death, Wilenchik told his family and friends that thanks to CTRC, he had an extra two years with the people he cared about. Following his death, event organizers decided to again host the walk to benefit CTRC and those fighting cancer. The Wilenchik Walk for Life, through walker registrations and the sale of Signs of Love (shown here), brought in over $20,000 for CTRC. Picture by Mary Spence.

Offerings stolen from local church

By Jessica Domel

(Seguin) -- Seguin Police detectives are looking for the person they say stole from a local church. Police Chief Kevin Kelso says an unknown person entered the First Presbyterian Church in Seguin over the weekend, took cash and damaged church property.

"Basically what we know at this point is that sometime after 1 o'clock on Sunday, March 7 and before 8 o'clock on Monday, March 8, unknown persons entered the First Presbyterian Church in the 300 block of North King Street and kicked in the office door. Once inside, an undisclosed amount of money - both cash and checks believed to have been collected from the
offerings - was taken," said Kelso.

Kelso says because checks were involved, members of the church who gave check donations Sunday are being asked to monitor their bank accounts.
"We would want people to watch their accounts anyway, so again, checks were taken. If you feel more confident in going ahead and canceling those checks and issuing another check, I don't see a problem in that. If not, I would watch those checks and find out whose cashed those and make sure the proper people did get credit for cashing those checks," said Kelso.

Detectives are investigating the matter. Kelso says if anyone has information about the burglary of this local church, he'd like them to call police as soon as possible.

"It does take a very desperate person with extremely questionable character to commit such a crime. I can't think of a more sacred place in our world to steal from than a church. So it does take a unique person to do such a thing," said Kelso.

The SPD Criminal Investigations Division can be reached at 401-2360.

Teatro seeks artists for free summer camp

By Jessica Domel

(Seguin) -- Teatro De Artes De Juan Seguin is searching for local artists who are willing to share their gift with area children this summer. Teatro De Artes Worker Megan Connolly says the local cultural arts center is planning a cultural arts camp that will be held in June and July, but she says before area children can set their paint brushes to canvas, the center needs artists and volunteers to sign up to help the program.

"Basically we're starting a summer camp. It's going to be a cultural arts summer camp. We kind-of have two goals with the camp. One is that we want to offer a quality, meaningful summer camp experience for children, particularly from low-income families that wouldn't usually have an opportunity to access a summer camp," said Connolly. "Then our second thing is that we really want to employ local artists at the camp. So we'll be needing four instructors for the camp to teach hour-long classes every day. Really we're looking at artists who can do anything they want for the class. They can teach a music class. They can teach a dance class that they would teach something in just a week. They could teach a short drama or any kind of visual. Really it's up to the artist and their expertise in what they might want to teach and then discussing it with us and how we can adapt it for kids."

The Teatro Cultural Arts Summer Camp is designed to offer an array of art activities for local children. Connolly says to make this happen, the center would like to employ four artists to teach during the session. Volunteers are also needed to assist the teachers and children during the camp, which will run from 8 a.m. until noon on weekdays for four one-week sessions from June 7 through July 2.

Connolly is currently working at Teatro De Artes De Juan Seguin as an AmeriCorps VISTA, or Volunteer in Service to America. She says the idea for the center to offer a camp came about because she saw a need for this type of program in the community.

"I'm a full-time VISTA worker here and that was the main project that they wanted to start. We're usually closed in June, and opening up our programs to the summer months was one of the main goals - just having something going on in the summer to serve the community better. Also it's a tuition free camp. It's a free summer camp, so the courses that we offer during the school year - the Ballet Folklorico and the music classes - have a tuition, so we wanted to offer something in the summer that's free for students that aren't already in Teatro to open up Teatro to more people who may not already be in our classes," said Connolly.

To sign up to become one of the artists for the camp, contact Connolly at the Teatro office at 401-0232.

Registration for the free camp will open the last week of April.

The goal of Teatro De Artes De Juan Seguin is to offer a better understanding of the Mexican-American culture through the teaching, study, practice and performance of the arts. Teatro has been in Seguin for almost three decades.

Local boy's efforts in the classroom pay off at home

Koennecke Elementary fifth grader Juwuan Smith shows off his big smile on this top bunk. Smith's bedroom received a mini makeover thanks to the congregation at Crossroads Church and other community volunteers. The group is determined to tackle projects for kids they say are deserving.

By Cindy Aguirre-Herrera

(Seguin) -- A local fifth grader's mom won't have any problem sending her son to his room. In fact from here on out, it's sweet dreams for Koennecke student Juwuan Smith.

After two long days of competition during this year's Destination Imagination contest in San Antonio, the honor student returned home to find a brand new bedroom. Thanks to the generosity and inspired idea of Marcus Avalos, pastor of Crossroads Church, a team of volunteers managed to makeover the child's bedroom this past weekend.

Avalos says his idea was simple but important.

"I have a vision for this community to invest in the young people of this generation, and so I thought it would be great to find some students who are doing really good in school and see what kind of needs they might have. I had this idea about this mini-makeover, so I said, ‘Why don't we go in there and just redecorate the whole room - just give a whole new fresh outlook on their environment when they go home?’ So we tossed some names around. People were giving us different names. Juwuan's name came up and we said 'Let's start here, we really don't know all that this entails but we're just going to go after it.' So it's more about investing in our future leadership, future generation. We believe in them, and Juwuan is supposedly a sharp kid, straight A student and so a good candidate - a first good candidate," said Avalos.

With Smith being away Friday and Saturday, it gave dozens of volunteers plenty of time to tear out his room and begin plans to install a customized bunkbed with built-in desk and renovate the room with new walls, new paint and new carpet. After a successful return from the problem solving contest, Smith was overwhelmed by his room and says it just inspires him to keep doing what he's doing.

"I just couldn't believe it. It was just there. It was just different. They told me that they chose me because I did good in school and in the outside world. I want to work harder to see what else I can achieve and help other people make those types of achievements too," said Smith.

On hand to share your son's joy was Smith's mother Niesha Bridgewater. Bridgewater says she applauds all those who helped reward and further motivate her son to succeed.

"I was really shocked, and I didn't believe him when he came to my house and said that my son was selected for a room makeover. I was thinking to myself, ‘I didn't sign up for that!’ It was like how do these people know my information and they told me that they went to different schools and stuff and were asking, ‘What child can we do this for?’ They said that the teachers had nothing but good things to say about him. He's the only fifth grader that had all As for the first semester and he's continued on the Honor Roll," said Bridgewater.

With one makeover down, Avalos says his congregation and community volunteers hope to tackle a few more similar projects for the rest of the year.

"We want to do six or seven in our community this year. Again we didn't know what the first one was going to be like. So if we can do more, we want to do more. Obviously it takes effort from the community -- finances and things like that to get that done. So if you are out there, we need some donations. It takes about a couple thousand dollars for each project. So we'll appreciate that too," said Avalos.

Avalos says the children are the only important factor about this investment in Seguin's youth.

"It's not (about being) underprivileged. It's not about their living conditions or anything like that. We're just investing in what they are already doing in the school. They're exceling in the school, and we're just trying to drive that even further into their life and we believe in them and that's how it all came about. It has nothing to do with income level or social status. If it was a great neighborhood, we would do the same thing," said Avalos. Those wishing to become part of this latest project are asked to contact Avalos at 237-5268.

City council, school board races set

(Seguin) -- A handful of candidates have officially secured a spot on the May 8 municipal and school district ballots.

The filing deadline for the Seguin City Council and the Seguin ISD and Marion ISD Board of Trustees was 5 p.m. Monday.

Only two of the four council seats will be contested in the city of Seguin General Election. The first race is in District 5. Those filing in that race include Beth Zies and Carlos Medrano. Danny Daniels, who currently serves that position has reached his term limit and is no longer eligible for re-election.

The second race is in District 3. Campaigning for that seat will be incumbent Ramon Salazar and newcomer Nick Carrillo. Others who have filed in their respective races include incumbents Don Keil in District 7 and Bob Pees in District 8.

In the Seguin ISD, there will be one contested race. That race is in District 4. The seat is currently held by Stan Ledbetter Jr. Throwing their name in the hat for that seat are newcomers Ronnie Pargmann and Carol Teeple. Ledbetter is not seeking re-election. Those who are unopposed and filing for re-election include incumbents Ishmael Flores in District 2, Jeff Koehler in District 5 and Nancy Ayotte in District 7.

Four candidates will also be vying for one of two available three year terms on the Marion ISD Board of Trustees. Those seats are currently held by Trustees Ruben Mendez and Darlene Cooper who have both opted to instead file for a one year and two year unexpired term respectively. Only Cooper will face opposition for the two year term against newcomer Ken Smith.

The individuals campaigning for one of the two three year terms include Marie Paiz, Jim Missildine, Shane Osborne and Mike Purcell. Paiz is currently serving as a trustee and who was appointed to fill one of the unexpired terms currently up for grabs this spring.

The election is set for Saturday May 8.

Detention Officers volunteer their time as Bigs Beyond Badges

Late last month, the New Braunfels Police Department's "Bigs in Blue" and the Guadalupe County Adult Detention Center's "Bigs Beyond Badges" took a break from a game of laser tag at Lazer X in New Braunfels to pose for this picture with their little brothers. Both NBPD and the Guadalupe County Adult Detention Center personnel regularly volunteer their time with the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program by mentoring area children. Courtesy photo

By Jessica Domel

(Seguin) -- A group of local officers are extending the long arm of the law to children in need of a helping hand. For the past 10 months, detention officers from the Guadalupe County Adult Detention Center have volunteered their time to make a difference in the community by mentoring children through the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program. The local officers have joined up with several officers from the New Braunfels Police Department and have formed a splinter group of Big Brothers, Big Sisters called "Bigs Beyond Badges."

Detention Sergeant Jon Gaddis is one of the six local volunteers involved with Bigs Beyond Badges. He says he volunteers his time because he wants to make a positive impact in someone else's life.

"Being a detention officer, we're behind the scenes in law enforcement. In my previous job, I was proactive in the Explorer Program helping out the community, being a positive influence on children and this gives us the opportunity to do that -b asically be a positive role model and affect them in a positive manner," said Gaddis. "We've taken them bowling. We've gone and spent time at the park throwing the football around. He's able to talk to me about issues that he's having at school and ask my advice. When he first started with this organization, he was really withdrawn and didn't want to talk. He wasn't doing really well in school. Since we've started, which has been about 10 months, his mom's advised me that he's had a lot of progress, and he's doing a bit better in school. He's opened up quite a bit with me and actually looked for law enforcement jobs as one of his school projects."

Detention Officer Stanley Mark is also one of the Bigs Beyond Badges volunteers. Mark says Bigs Beyond Badges has allowed the officers from the jail the opportunity to give back to the community in another way.

"I've always been an active member of the community, but it's always been sports. This is personal. This is one-on-one, and I've enjoyed it so far on a one-on-one level with just one child," said Mark. "Overall it's been a really good experience. Like I've said, I've always taken on 100 kids plus, but to just have one to give your attention to is really special. It's a special thing." (BIG BROTHERS, SISTERS continues below)

“Little Brother” Joel gets ready to play tag at the New Braunfels Lazer X with his big brother from Bigs Beyond Badges.

(BIG BROTHERS, SISTERS continued from above)

In addition to spending one-on-one time with their "little brothers," the Bigs Beyond Badges also spend time together as a group. Late last month, the group gathered at an area laser tag facility for a little healthy competition.

"We look for fun activities that they're going to be interested in. We took a small group two months ago. They really enjoyed it. We presented it to the Big Brothers, Big Sisters organization, and they incorporated Lazer X New Braunfels. They were able to allow us to go there - both groups, New Braunfels and us in a large group, and let us play for no charge," said Gaddis.

Feb. 20 was the second time the group was allowed to use the Lazer X facility for a get-together. Mark says the first-time Bigs Beyond Badges used the facility, his shooting skills earned him a top honor.

"It was fun, but I can just brag for a minute and say I was top gun," said Mark. "Everybody had fun, let's put it that way. Everybody had fun."

While Mark may be known for his laser tag shooting skills, he says his "little brother" also respects what he does for a living as a detention officer at the Guadalupe County Adult Detention Center.

"He thinks it's cool. He respects it. He's been opening up a little bit at a time, but he seems to be a bit more comfortable when my kids are around. That's okay too as long as he feels like part of the family," said Mark.

There are 10 officers from the New Braunfels Police Department in Bigs Beyond Badges. There are currently six from the Guadalupe County Sheriff's Office/ Adult Detention Center with several more on stand-by for the program.

Gaddis says he's really enjoyed working with the program and with his "little brother," and he hopes more public servants in the area take the opportunity to mentor.

"I think it's a great experience. I think we learn from each other. I'm able to learn from him. There's a lot of similarities. I'm able to give him my experience on it, and it's just really fun," said Gaddis.

To sign up to help Bigs Beyond Badges, log on to www.bigmentor.org or call the Guadalupe and Comal County Branch Coordinator for Big Brothers, Big Sisters at 830-832-6806.

Fourth graders swing their partners to a whole new dance

Koennecke fourth graders swing their way to this Virginia Reel dance. The dance is among the new steps being taught at the local campus along with the school's existing fourth grade ballroom dance program. Leading the charge is Sue Humphrey and teachers Mark Haygood and Pam Acker who have invested the time and energy into the program. Humphrey, a former Seguin ISD music teacher, was recruited out of retirement to help launch this program.

By Cindy Aguirre Herrera

(Seguin) -- Local fourth graders are kicking up their heels to a new dance over at Koennecke Elementary School. The school, known for its fifth grade ballroom dance program, is wrapping up its first run at folk dancing. After the idea of offering lessons in square dancing was initiated by choir teacher Mark Haygood, teacher Pam Acker says she had no problem finding just the right instructor.

"I knew a retired school teacher Sue Humphrey who happens to be my mom and knew that she also had taught it when she was taught in the school district here in Seguin. So I asked her about it and she was very excited about coming on Fridays for about nine weeks and teaching the kids how to do the Virginia Reel and square dancing," said Acker. "The kids love it and they were so excited. They ask us, ‘Are we going to dance on Friday?’ and one Friday we didn't because we had another event and they were like, ‘Oh no, we want to dance,' so they really enjoyed it," said Acker.

After years of teaching the Virginia Reel and other folk dance favorites at Jefferson Elementary, Sue Humphrey says she was happy to return to the classroom after nearly 12 years of being retired. Humphrey says the enthusiasm that students have gained from the program makes her volunteered effort well worth it.

"I think that music ought to be fun for kids. They are surprised by dancing because I think even the ones that are hesitant about dancing they end up getting out there and being the best dancers there are and having a good time. I think they realize it can be and that they can do it. They can build confidence," said Humphrey.

The dance program is patterned somewhat in conjunction with the school's current fifth grade ballroom dance instruction. Started a few years ago, the ballroom dancing curriculum has flourished into a competitive contest for the local campus.

Fourth grader McKade Mayfield says when it comes to the question of what is the best part of folk dancing, he knows just the right answer.

"That I get to dance with a lot of girls," said Mayfield.

Listing the Virginia Reel as her favorite is Lilibeth Deleon. Deleon says Friday folk dancing has become a top favorite among her peers.

"I like it very much. I like it because I get to have fun with friends and everyone that I know," said Deleon.

This is the fourth year that Koennecke has offered dance as part of its curriculum. The program was started thanks to a Seguin ISD Education Foundation grant provided to the campus. The lessons in folk dancing will be shared with parents during the school's family reading night on March 25 while finals for the school's annual fifth grade ballroom dance competition will be held at 2:15 p.m on Thursday, March 11.

Do you recognize these men?

Seguin Police are looking for two men they say burglarized the USA Dollar Store on East Court Street late last month. The store, which is located at 1500 East Court Street, was burglarized Feb. 25 just before 1:45 a.m. Seguin Police say the suspects shattered the glass door to the business and took an undisclosed amount of cash, several cell phones and cigarettes. The photos shown here are from store surveillance cameras that captured the two in the act. If you recognize the suspects or have any other information about this burglary, contact Seguin police detectives at 379-2123. Courtesy photo.

City officials say Civil Service could cost $700,000; Firefighters association gains enough signatures to have initiative on ballot

By Jessica Domel

(Seguin) - If passed by voters in May, the Firefighters Civil Service initiative could cost local residents. That’s the message from the city of Seguin following an announcement by the Seguin Professional Firefighters’ Association that the group had garnered enough signatures to have the initiative, also known as Chapter 143, placed on the May 8 ballot.

Last week, KWED radio and the Seguin Daily news brought you information from the PFFA about what Civil Service meant to them, why they wanted it on the ballot and how it would impact the department. Today, we bring you the information presented by Seguin City Manager Doug Faseler, who has been researching Chapter 143 for the city.

If passed by the voters in May, Faseler says that Civil Service will change the way certain processes are handled for the local firefighters.

"There's various aspects to Civil Service. It deals with hiring, firing and promotion of firefighters and disciplinary actions. There's also a fiscal aspect, and that's based upon some of the benefits that come along with it. These benefits would be some over and above what the rest of the city of Seguin workforce wouldn't enjoy if it were successful," said Faseler.

Among other things, Faseler says Civil Service will create an inequality among city of Seguin employees because the firefighters would have a different hiring, firing and promotional structure than other city departments.

"You know, we try to maintain our personnel policy to be fair and equitable across the departmental lines. In the case of Civil Service, a couple of things it would do would increase the vacation leave benefits for those firefighting, and it would increase the accrual rate. It would also require that the vacation leave be used within a 12-month period or be compensated for that leave rather than accruing it. There's an expense to that, of course," said Faseler. "It would allow for unlimited accrual of sick leave, which we currently do not have with the city of Seguin, and then also upon separation or termination, require payment for up to 90 days of sick leave. So that certainly has a fiscal impact on our budget."

According to Faseler, the projected annual increase in leave liability with Civil Service would be $23,874. The annual sick leave liability would also increase. The city currently does not compensate firefighters for their unused sick days, but Faseler says Civil Service will call for that. It would also call for firefighters who leave the department to be compensated for unused sick leave - up to 90 days. In the first year, Faseler says this could cost the city tens of thousands of dollars.

In addition, Faseler says Civil Service would require that the city let go of its 11 part-time firefighters who cover the absences of full-time staff.

"In regards to our budget with firefighting, we try to control our costs because we're a full service city. We've got fire protection to provide, police protection, our basic city services, streets and utilities. So we try to stretch the tax dollar as far as we can. One of the ways that we do that is we try to augment our fire department with part time personnel," said Faseler. "They're certified firefighters from other communities that may reside in the area. One of the things that Civil Service does is prohibit us from utilizing part time firefighters, so we would probably end up having to add a couple of firefighting positions and the additional benefits that come with that and in combination with that, probably have to increase over-time budgets."

According to statistics given to KWED radio and the Seguin Daily news by Faseler, the city currently budgets $40,000 for part-time firefighters, which is about 4,000 man hours. If Civil Service is passed, the city would either have to pay current firefighters overtime, which would be a budget increase of $128,675, or the city would have to hire two additional firefighters, which would cost the city approximately $118,000.

Faseler says there would also be added administrative costs if Civil Service is passed because it would establish a Civil Service Commission where complaints and decisions could be appealed to. All of these changes, according to Faseler, would cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"It's a big fiscal impact on the city budget if it should be successful. The firefighters' association have exercised their right in acquiring the petitions. Council will consider the item at the March 16 meeting to call the special election for that. With that, if it is successful, there is adjustment that we'll have to make budget-wise. I'm estimating that the fiscal impact could be anywhere between $600,000 and $700,000 in the first year between increased possible expenses, liabilities and costs. So that's very significant," said Faseler.

In order to meet the needs of Civil Service and to cope with these costs, Faseler says the city might have to raise taxes for city residents.

"I would think, yes, definitely we would. I think over the last couple of years, you've covered our budget process, and you've seen where we've made some significant adjustments in approving our budget. Over the last couple of years, we've eliminated a couple of positions in order to keep our budgets more manageable and maintain our tax rate at a reasonable rate. So with these additional expenses, it would certainly have to come from some additional revenue," said Faseler.

Civil Service will appear on the May 8 ballot. Information from both the city and the firefighters association about Civil Service can be found at the bottom of SeguinToday.com, or by clicking here for the official report from the city or here for the report from the PFFA.

Woman who wrote for Sesame Street, Dr. Seuss visits local private school

Author Tish Rabe recently visited St. James Catholic School to discuss her new book “The I Believe Bunny” with local students.

By Jessica Domel

(Seguin) - Instead of telling local children how to get to Sesame Street, one author for the popular children’s series spoke to St. James Catholic School students about her new book “The I Believe Bunny” and her experiences as an author late last week. Tish Rabe, who has also written songs for a number of other popular children’s shows, says she was in Texas for the first time Friday to read her new book to the students at the local private school and to answer questions about the writing process.

"Today, I'm here to talk about writing children's books. I am a children's book author. I have written over 85 children's books, and I'm especially going to be telling them about my two new books, 'The I Believe Bunny' and 'Sharing with You,'" said Rabe.

“The I Believe Bunny” is the first book in Rabe’s new series that teaches children how to put their faith into action. The book has been out for six months now and is available for sale on Amazon.com and on Rabe’s Web site for the series.

"Over the last 15 years, I've been writing the new line of 'Cat in the Hat' books, and I've also written for 'Curious George,' 'Clifford,' and 'Blue's Clues.' 'The I Believe Bunny' is my first fictional character," said Rabe. "'The I Believe Bunny' believes in himself, and he believes in the power of God's love and that he can make a positive difference in the world. It's a great read-to-your-child book, and it's a great read-for-yourself book as well."

Rabe, who currently lives in New York, says she actually got her start by writing several songs for Sesame Street, including Oscar the Grouch’s “I Love Trash.”

"I began my career working for Sesame Street when the show first started, and I got my start as a singer. I actually wrote a lot of Sesame Street songs, and I sang on the show, and I sing on 'The I Believe Bunny' Web site," said Rabe.

Rabe told the students Friday that she wrote her first book at 27 called “Burt Broke The Teapot” about Sesame Street characters Burt and Ernie. The book is based on one of Rabe’s childhood experiences. She told the students that life is a great place to gain inspiration for writing, and that’s why, she says, it’s important to always have pen and paper handy to take notes on a possible storyline.

"It's very exciting because the opportunities are almost endless to come up with new characters, more stories and really expand it out. It's really exciting," said Rabe.

While answering dozens of questions from the local students, Rabe told the group that she really appreciated one teacher who really inspired her.

"What really inspired me to become an author is that I've always, since I was in fourth or fifth grade, loved to write. I also will say I had a fantastic high school Creative Writing teacher who pushed us. We wrote sonnets. We wrote haiku. We just wrote, wrote, wrote. I really just love what I do for a living," said Rabe.

During her visit with the children, Rabe also read “The I Believe Bunny” and offered to sign copies of the book for the children.

“The I Believe Bunny” is available for sale online at www.ibelievebunny.com.

RSVP signs up 1,000th volunteer

A local volunteer organization is celebrating a milestone this month. Paul Martin (left) was the 1,000th person to join the local RSVP organization. Pictured along with Martin is Marvel Maddox (right). The pair recently volunteered at one of the community gardens in Seguin which are part of Siempre Sustainable Network. RSVP matches interests and skills of anyone age 55 or over with agencies and organizations where their skills are needed. Courtesy photo.

By Jessica Domel

(Seguin) -- An area volunteer organization is celebrating an important milestone this month. With the addition of Paul Martin to the local RSVP organization, the group has finally hit the 1,000 volunteer mark. RSVP Director Stephen Doerr says the local Retired Senior Volunteer Program is one of only a handful in the state that has actually met the 1,000 volunteer milestone.

"After being at about 950 to 975 active volunteers for the last several years, we had a good recruitment year and we got to our 1,000th active volunteer just recently," said Doerr. "We're really excited about the milestone of 1,000 volunteers."

The local RSVP, which serves four counties, is one of only 30 RSVP programs in Texas. Doerr says the volunteers who have joined RSVP serve organizations across the area in a variety of ways.

"We're a volunteer program for people 55 and over that have an interest in serving in the community. We match their interest and skills with the needs of non-profit organizations and health care facilities. We've been very successful at it. We're actually serving 103 different non-profit organizations or health care facilities at the current time. Collectively those volunteers put in approximately 135,000 hours a year in support of their communities," said Doerr.

The local RSVP is sponsored by Texas Lutheran University and has been in place locally since 1974. Doerr says RSVP provides the community with a skilled set of volunteers who are ready and willing to share their knowledge.

"There are many unmet needs and older volunteers have the skills that after a lifetime of experience, they have the skills to really meet a lot of the challenges that face our society today," said Doerr. "For example, in our four counties, we have over 80 RSVP volunteers that tutor or mentor children in the elementary schools. Actually, we have two part-time staff that that's their whole focus is children's literacy, primarily first grade emergent readers. We always need more volunteers to participate in that, but in addition to that, we have a lot of food bank volunteers, a lot of hospital volunteers and really all types of non-profit organizations."

Doerr says RSVP is also recruiting and placing volunteers. To sign up for RSVP, visit RSVPTLU.org or call 379-0300.

Hard-Working Window Washer Has Been on the Job for More than Fifty Years

Mr. James E. Sims has been washing windows professionally for over fifty years.

By Mary Jo Filip, Main Street Program Director

(Seguin) -- If you have worked downtown for any amount of time there is probably one downtown personality you have observed over the years and that is Mr. James E. Sims. Mr. Sims has hawked his trade here and in surrounding communities as a professional window washer. Mr. Sims said he got started in the window washing business back in 1956 when he was attending college in Cincinnati, Ohio.

“I went to college in Cincinnati where I was studying to be a preacher. My classes were all in the afternoon so I started a window cleaning company and worked in the morning to pay my tuition,” Mr. Sims said.

For the past 54 years, Mr. Sims has been preaching and washing windows. He describes himself as an evangelical preacher and attends church camp meetings and church services in different parts of the country. Every year, he returns to Cincinnati for two weeks to attend a church camp meeting in his old stomping grounds.

Window washing has been his primary source of income through the years. In addition to Cincinnati, he has washed windows in Key West, Florida and Terra Haute, Indiana. He came to Seguin because his brother-in-law retired from the Army in the area and wanted Mr. Sims and his wife, Della, to join him and move to Seguin.

Mr. Sims says is not afraid of hard work. The extreme heat and cold in Texas doesn’t phase him. He has worked hard all his life, starting out plowing and planting and driving a tractor when he was 9-years-old. In addition to preaching and window washing, Mr. Sims also farms and does janitorial work. Some of his regular downtown customers are the Heritage Museum, Seguin Beauty School, Vogue Shoes and Chiro Java. He is always looking for work and his prices are very reasonable. At age 75, he is still willing to climb ladders and use lifts and washes the Beeville County Courthouse every year, a multi-story structure. He also washes windows in New Braunfels and San Marcos.

It’s spring and time to do some cleaning! So, if you see Mr. Sims working downtown and want your windows washed or some general janitorial work done, just stop and talk with him or, give him a call at 830-386-9456.

Battle over civil service begins

The city of Seguin has released its fact sheet regarding the civil service initiative and its proposed impact on the city's operation and budget. Click here to read the report.

Here's the Seguin Professional Firefighters Association summary about the creation of civil service. Click here to read this report.